Egypt’s Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has reported 16 satellite channels to the nation’s police and prosecution authorities over alleged false advertising. In the main the channels carry – and depend on profits from – advertising for faith-healing products, and that some of the on-air ‘sheikhs’ claims that they can cure people of their problems and medical conditions.

“Such misleading advertisements violate the law that bans the promotion of goods or services using false information about their characteristics or giving false impressions,” stated the CPA’s head, Atef Yaacoub., adding that the channels depend on viewer “ignorance and retardation”.

He also suggested that many of the channels are broadcasting movies and programming without copyright permissions.

Some of the channels are claimed to be guilty of promoting health products able to cure Hepatitis C, as well as other unlicensed medical products